Bay County comes together at Centennial Gala

An ice sculpture commemorates the Bay County Centennial at the Panama Country Club in Lynn Haven on Saturday.

Andrew P Johnson | The News Herald

By SCOTT CARROLL | The News Herald

Published: Saturday, August 17, 2013 at 10:04 PM.

LYNN HAVEN – Local elected officials, business and community leaders, and longtime residents of Bay County came together Saturday night to celebrate the county’s history at the Centennial Gala at Panama Country Club in Lynn Haven.

Over cocktails and dinner, dozens of attendees reflected on the county’s past, reliving memories through historical presentations including a video slideshow. They shared their hopes for the county’s future, as well.

Attendees’ first sight upon entering the gala was a visual history of the county curated by the Bay County Public Library. The display featured photos documenting 100 years of public service, social life and infrastructure. It also had photos of some of the county’s oldest residents as part of the library’s “First Family of Bay County” project. Members of some of those “first families” were in attendance Saturday.

“Every month we have this big display that features a different theme, and so we just gathered some of those tonight that we thought would be interesting for people to see,” said Rebecca Saunders, the library’s supervisor of local history and genealogy.

Among the photos were shots of the 1970 implosion of the Dixie Sherman Hotel in Panama City, which Saunders witnessed.

“I was on the roof of the old library next to City Hall watching it, and it was really something,” she said.

A centennial coin was available for purchase at the gala, the proceeds from which went to support the Bay County Historical Society.

LYNN HAVEN – Local elected officials, business and community leaders, and longtime residents of Bay County came together Saturday night to celebrate the county’s history at the Centennial Gala at Panama Country Club in Lynn Haven.

Over cocktails and dinner, dozens of attendees reflected on the county’s past, reliving memories through historical presentations including a video slideshow. They shared their hopes for the county’s future, as well.

Attendees’ first sight upon entering the gala was a visual history of the county curated by the Bay County Public Library. The display featured photos documenting 100 years of public service, social life and infrastructure. It also had photos of some of the county’s oldest residents as part of the library’s “First Family of Bay County” project. Members of some of those “first families” were in attendance Saturday.

“Every month we have this big display that features a different theme, and so we just gathered some of those tonight that we thought would be interesting for people to see,” said Rebecca Saunders, the library’s supervisor of local history and genealogy.

Among the photos were shots of the 1970 implosion of the Dixie Sherman Hotel in Panama City, which Saunders witnessed.

“I was on the roof of the old library next to City Hall watching it, and it was really something,” she said.

A centennial coin was available for purchase at the gala, the proceeds from which went to support the Bay County Historical Society.

Representatives from Gulf Coast State College, Gulf Power and the Tourism Development Council, among many other area groups, attended the gala. For Steve Dunnivant, Gulf Coast State College dean of the Advanced Technology Center, the diversity of local groups in attendance represented the widespread cooperation that has built Bay County.

“It shows the importance of a sense of place and that we want to inspire people to not just come and visit our area, but choose to be a part of that community,” he said. “So in order to make that quality of life apparent, you have to have the cooperation across business, industry, government and education.”

Dunnivant, a Memphis, Tenn. native who has lived in Bay County the last 33 years, said the “most exciting” moment in the county’s history, for him, was the creation of the Advanced Technology Center.

“That singular site ups the bar for the quality of education and technology that’s available to our students here,” he said.

Al McCambry said the county’s history of teamwork made his former job as Bay County Chamber of Commerce chairman a fruitful experience.

“I was able to reap the benefits of a lot of good things that had already happened,” said McCambry, who is now the director of Corporate College at Gulf Coast State. “But when I look at today and where we are, and some of the things that are happening with the leadership and the management in this community … this county is a great place to live, work and play, and I’m very, very pleased to be part of it.”